Cuttack, Nov 28: The Orissa High Court has ruled that MLAs and MPs cannot recommend the transfer of schoolteachers, striking down a long-standing provision that allowed each legislator to influence up to 15 transfers.

The court said such recommendations amount to political interference in academic administration and could damage the educational environment. It noted that allowing elected representatives to intervene in teacher postings may encourage alignments between teachers and political parties, which it described as unhealthy for the system.

The bench quashed a May 13 letter issued by the School and Mass Education Department to the Directors of Primary and Secondary Education that enabled recommendation-based transfers. All transfer orders issued under that directive have also been cancelled.

According to the court’s order, teachers affected by the quashed transfers must be allowed to return to their previous postings. Those who have already joined their new stations will continue there until the end of the 2025–26 academic year. They must be reinstated to their earlier posts within one week after the academic session ends. The court warned that any delay in implementing these directions would be viewed seriously.

It further directed the authorities to dispose of all departmental appeals filed by teachers against such transfers within four weeks based on the ruling. Routine transfers under the official transfer guidelines may continue.

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Advocates Kunal Kumar Swain, Sukant Kumar Dalai and Dr Purusottam Chuli represented the petitioners.